


Missing Pieces

by inuyashamunkey



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Confessions, First Kiss, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Dork, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith is a hairdresser., Keitor, Kissing, Lotor is a model, Love Confessions, M/M, Model AU, Nyma is a model, Nyma is a slimy bitch, Photo Shoots, Photography, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), hairdresser au, lokei, lotor is beautiful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 03:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17134373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inuyashamunkey/pseuds/inuyashamunkey
Summary: Keith has known Lotor for a great many years. They went through high school together, got into the same college, and even worked at the same studio as a hairdresser and model. One would say they were extremely close.Keith would disagree, especially when Nyma comes into the picture.





	Missing Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for a keitor secret Santa exchange. I don't know how I feel about it, but it exists.

 Keith's fingers twisted in an intricate pattern, familiar, soft white tresses flowing through them like water. The long hair bent into place easily, smooth and tangle-free—a true blessing in Keith's line of work. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been presented with a model who couldn't be bothered to keep their hair  _nice_  and expected him to somehow fix their hair disasters within the hour he was given in between shoots.

There was an old radio sat in the corner of the room, filling the space with a calm, jolly tune, undisturbed by the usual hustle outside of Keith's door. It was the quietest time of day: the time of the day that everyone was caught in a rare lull in which no one had to rush around to get anything done.

It was Keith's favorite time to work.

In the mirror, Keith could see Lotor's eyes shut, his face free of its usual snark-polished wrinkles. His hands slowed to stop for only a second, admiring the moment.

_Stop wasting time, Keith._

He resumed his work. He was tying Lotor's hair into a loose plait, a simple look that Keith favored as it could be embellished as few others could—and he definitely planned on decorating this little mantle to the  _fullest_ of his capabilities.

They were doing a Christmas photo shoot and Keith adored giving his long-haired clients, specifically Lotor, simple looks with elegant details that made its simplicity look beautiful. Every look had to  _scream_  holidays, they had to be completely unambiguous and in-your-face Christmas. He'd even bought an entirely new set of hair rings to put into Lotor's braid.

He shifted from one foot to the other and his fingers struggled to keep their steady pace. This was taking forever. He messed up a twist and made a quiet noise of frustration, his mouth twisting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that golden eyes had opened, watching him through the mirror with a wickedly amused glint. He paused. "What?"

"Nothing," Lotor replied, his voice a relaxed baritone. "I just always find it intriguing how excited you get."

Keith's brow furrowed. He started tying the man's hair again as he replied, "I don't get excited."

Lotor looked at him skeptically. "Really? You look like a toddler waiting in line for a ride at Disney."

"Am not," Keith denied quickly, indignantly. He ducked his eyes, stubbornly focusing his gaze on Lotor's hair.

Lotor coughed out a laugh, a loud chiming. "You most certainly are, little elf, I would know."

Keith rolled his eyes, taking a clear elastic between his fingers and stretching it to fit around the quaint end to Lotor's long braid. He didn't like this part; he always felt like the elastic was going to snap in his hands.

It had happened before.

He tied it with quick, deft fingers, satisfied when it stayed in place. He ignored Lotor's previous statements, instead saying, "Tell me if it pulls."

Lotor hummed and Keith saw his eyes shut once more, his head leaning back just a bit more.

Keith lightly tugged on a few strands to give his bread a messy, tousled look. He was careful that it looked stylishly unstyled but not unkempt, making sure no strands came loose with his fidgeting.

He reached towards the counter in front of Lotor, grabbing the rectangular box of hair rings. They were plain silver loops of varying size and he took great care in placing them in Lotor's hair.

"What frivolous decoration did you waste money on this year, little elf?" Lotor asked.

"It's not frivolous; this is the biggest issue of the year," Keith said defensively.

Lotor opened one eye. His tone was colored in amusement as he said, "Then I take it you've done it again?" Keith didn't meet his eyes. Lotor huffed a quiet laugh. "Did you make a cost-effective choice this year?"

"Define 'cost-effective.'"

Lotor smirked knowingly. "Something that costs less than the entirety of what you're wearing now." Keith saw him look pointedly as the jade earring he had pierced through his right ear.

Keith's hands slowed but didn't stop. "Then...no. Not... not  _super_  cost-effective by those standards."

"I expected as much. You're far too eager during the holiday season, little elf. What did you get?" Lotor asked, compliantly tilting his head to give Keith more access to slip another ring on.

A pleasant warmth spread through Keith as he thought back to the beauties he had sitting in the drawer to his left, calling his name.

"They're Swarovski crystal snowflake pins. I saw them at the jewelers and couldn't say no. They're so pretty, Lotor." Keith bit his lip, attempting to bite down his grin. "They're going to look so good."

"What about me?"

Keith shrugged, his excited face morphing into one of disgust. "A necessary casualty for showcasing their beauty."

"Ouch," Lotor intoned dully.

"I'm turning you around," Keith warned briefly before spinning Lotor's seat so Keith stood in between his much longer, sweatpants-clad legs.

He leaned in, taking painstaking care in placing the rings evenly on either side of Lotor's temples where the braid started. He trampled any bits of frizz with a quick spritz of dry shampoo. As he pulled his hands away, he noticed Lotor's eyes trained on his face. He shifted uncomfortably, leaning back. "What is it now?"

Lotor blinked and then softly shook his head. "There's glitter on your eyelash."

Keith looked up as if he could see the sparkle for himself. He mentally berated himself for the foolish motion, leaning over Lotor's shoulder to look into the mirror, picking off a piece of white iridescent glitter.

He watched the pin-prick of light float down to the ground, knowing from the bottom of his very soul that he would be finding that later. Hell, he was still picking pink and red glitter out of his wigs from valentines.

He straightened up and saw Lotor looking off to the far wall, lost in thought. Keith tapped his cheek with the thin-toothed comb until he faced forward again.

_Odd._

Keith opened the drawer that hid his treasure, his mind sparking with joy. He started putting the, ahem,  _extravagant_ , crystals in Lotor's hair as silence flooded the room. He was a bit weirded out by the absence of Lotor's customary chatter and teasing... and weirded out that he was weirded out in the first place. He managed to work through the discomfort it gave him and, when all was said and done, he was extremely proud of his work.

Another Christmas look done well.

Lotor already had his makeup done— subtle white and blue eyeshadow with an abundance of highlight—and the embellishments reflected beautifully, matching the tones on his face to perfection. They even complimented his lips, painted pale and carefully colorless; a true snow queen.

Lotor spun himself around and looked into the mirror, a smirk growing on his lips as he lightly brushed his fingertips against the glossy crystal.

Keith swatted his hand with a scolding frown. "Stop touching them, you'll get fingerprints on them."

Lotor chuckled a bit, still admiring himself. "Yes, little elf."

Finally, Lotor stood from his chair and faced Keith at his full height, dwarfing the other man. He patted his head. "You've done impeccably, as always."

Keith rolled his eyes and stepped aside, gesturing to the door. "Get out."

~

Keith came to stand beside Allura behind the large studio lights that brightened their pure white set, the bells on his boots chiming softly as he came to a stop.

Lotor was the centerpiece, as always. He'd been dressed in a rather feminine two-piece ensemble: a simple dress with no extravagant frills or coloring and Keith knew Lotor absolutely  _loathed_  it.

Amusement curled in his chest at the thought. Lotor's face was straight and prideful as ever; he was good at acting like he wasn't positively crawling out of his skin at having his midriff exposed as it was, Keith had to admit.

He really didn't understand why Lotor hated it so much, looking at the exposed skin. It wasn't like Lotor was unattractive—Keith would know—but he supposed that everyone had their ticks.

"He looks lovely," Allura commented as she watched the makeup artists put final touches on Lotor's powdered face. Her manicured finger was gently pressed to her lips as her face scrunched in a type of amusement that told Keith she was enjoying Lotor's discomfort. "He doesn't look happy." Her voice wreaked of false sympathy.

Keith nodded his head. "I'll be hearing about it for months."

The makeup artists moved away, one of them giving a thumbs-up to the photographer, a new hire. The photographer leaned down to look through his camera. "Alright, Lotor. Stand in the center of the set and turn so you're presenting your right profile."

Lotor did as told, moving into place with a professional grace Keith would never get used to seeing on him. The second Lotor stepped in front of the camera, he was in his element. It was a complete transformation from stoic and cocky, turning him into a soft and elegant snow queen with a story to share.

Keith was fixated on Lotor as the shoot started, Lotor changing his facial expressions and the presence of his hands every couple of flashes.

There was a jab to his ribs and he jumped. Allura leaned in, not taking her eyes off of the set. "You're so obvious."

"What?" Keith asked in offense, leaning away from her.

"I don't know what you see in him," Allura continued as if she hadn't heard him, "he's terrible."

"I don't see anything in him," Keith muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sure," Allura drawled, unconvinced. "That's why you buy expensive things for him every year for Christmas. You don't even buy  _me_  stuff like this—" She gestured vaguely towards Lotor. "—and  _I've_  known you your entire life."

"They're for work," Keith said defensively, his cheeks heating.

Allura raised a prim brow at him. "Yes, that's why he always takes them home, never to be seen on another model again."

"That... isn't true," Keith said lamely, the assertation in his voice fading. He looked down, showing his hands in his pockets.

"Look," Allura sighed, "I don't care about whatever you have going on with holier-than-thou over there, I just don't like the way he treats people."

"It doesn't matter, Allura. It isn't going to happen." Keith cast his eyes back to the set where they had pulled in a white plush-looking couch. Lotor was splayed over it, his long limbs hanging over its soft edges.

Allura made a distinctly frustrated noise but didn't push any further, mercifully dropping the subject with a huff.

After a couple more subtle set changes, it was time to bring in their second model for this shoot and Keith's spine straightened. Allura looked down at him out of the corner of her eyes as a bright red figure entered.

It was Nyma dressed in a bright red suit. Just like Lotor's dress, it was simple but bright. Nyma's hair hadn't been done by Keith, but it still looked nice enough, though, Keith noted, not as nice as Lotor's if he did say so himself.

And he did.

Nyma greeted Lotor with a smile and jab to the arm. She said something that made Lotor laugh and a beast terribly close to jealousy clawed at Keith's insides. He swallowed, finding it difficult.

No, he had to remind himself, there was no time for that.

Truth be told, Keith had met Lotor in high school, had known him longer than anyone else in the room, but he still felt that he was somehow the furthest away from him; that he was inadequate to be around him. Even Nyma, who Lotor had only known for a year. She and Lotor hit it off after the first shoot they'd done together and it was the first time Lotor had spent the night after a shoot anywhere but Keith's apartment, pigging out on junk food for an epic cheat day.

It had been like a punch to the gut, having to listen to Lotor's weak apologies as he told him he was going to a party with Nyma and a couple of her friends. He was reminded then that Lotor didn't belong to him and that Lotor would move on eventually and it... it hurt.

Lotor and Nyma disappearing after shoots had become the norm and Keith hadn't gotten along with her ever since, and he felt like Nyma knew it and knew why. Knew and flaunted it.

He hadn't realized they'd starting posing together, a beautiful blend of white and red, until Allura wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "You'd look much better next to him than she does."

He could dream.

~

The shoot had wrapped up without a hitch and now Keith was standing around, trying to find ways to make himself useful before he had to go home. Usually, he would go straight home and he would've  _been_  home, by now, but with Nyma here he knew there was no point in rushing; no one was waiting for him.

One of the makeup artists dropped a brush as he passed, unable to lean down and get it due to the mountain piled on his arms. Keith leaned down and picked it up neatly, sticking it back into its abandoned sleeve. The artist, Ander if Keith remembered correctly, smiled thankfully. "Thanks, Keith."

"Do you want me to take some of that?" Keith asked, eyeing the tower with a hint of well-placed caution.

"That would be great!" Ander held the stack out, allowing Keith to take the brushes and little boxes of gems and glitter that balanced precariously on the top.

They walked side-by-side towards the back doors, making idle chit-chat. Ander had only been hired temporarily for the past couple of shoots and would be leaving that night to Los Angeles for another gig, one he was over the moon about. As Keith listened, he thought that he wished he had spoken to the man more while he was here, he seemed interesting.

Maybe he'd try to keep in contact.

"I mean, I've always wanted to do Romelle Robeast's makeup, but I never thought it would actually happen, you know?" Ander said, his fingers twitching around his hefty burden as he restrained himself from gesturing with his hands.

Keith smiled at his excitement, the young man like a warm glow at his side.

Ander looked at him then, eyes gleaming with curiosity and elation. "Have you ever had a dream job like that?"

White hair— _childhood, cheap rubber bands_ —gold eyes— _mirth, anger,_   _home_ —sharp ears— _friend, family, brother._

Keith's eyes cast down, a soft smile playing at his lips. "Yeah."

He helped Ander load up his car, receiving a surprise hug for his efforts. He stood waving as the man pulled out before turning back into the warm building.

Keith had his chilled hands stowed away in his pockets, lost in thought as he meandered back towards his workspace.

"Keith?" Keith's head snapped up, his eyes wide. Lotor had dressed down as he usually would, jogging towards him with a messy bun bouncing atop his head. Lotor came to a stop in front of him, his hands on his hips. "I thought you'd left, sneaky little elf."

"Lotor?" Keith's nose scrunched in confusion as he squinted at his long-time friend. "Why are you still here?"

"We always go to your apartment after shoots, little elf." Lotor looked down at him questioningly.

"But... Nyma's here." Keith shifted in discomfort.

"And?" Lotor leaned down, his lips pursed.

"And... you always go with her whenever she's around?" Keith said in a flat tone of voice. Was his time with the woman truly so effortless?

Lotor seemed to go blank for a second, staring at something over Keith's head before his eyebrows dropped, heavy above his speculative eyes. "I hadn't realized." His gaze snapped up and narrowed, entrapping Keith. Keith tried not to visibly stiffen, but he was sure Lotor had noticed. Lotor's lips curled up at the sides, cat-like. "Don't tell me you're jealous, little elf."

Keith instinctively opened his mouth to retort, maybe give a tease of denial, but the flash of hurt and truth in his chest stopped him short. He didn't move.

A quiet passed between them. It was heavy and Keith felt himself become tenser and tenser with every passing second.

Lotor's stumped silence came to an abrupt end with a hand to Keith's shoulder. He jostled it gently but insistently. Keith still didn't move. "Keith."

Keith's hands fisted in his pockets. Lotor's hand moved from his shoulder to his chin, jerking it up so Keith was forced to meet the taller man's eyes. Lotor's expression was uncharacteristically soft, uncharacteristically concerned and caring. Something about it was indescribably warm.

"Keith, you can't actually think I would choose _that_  over you?" Lotor asked with a note of incredulity.

"You have before," Keith said softly.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, each looking for something they couldn't seem to find. "Keith..."

Keith stepped away, raising a hand to pull Lotor's arm away. "It's fine, I'm not—"

Lotor's long, lithe fingers grasped his retreating wrist, twirling him around with ease. "Not what?"

Keith let out a harsh stream of air through his nose. "Nothing. Let go." Keith pulled at his wrist feebly. Lotor held strong.

"No. You're not what?"

"Knock it off, Lotor," Keith hissed.

"No," Lotor replied strongly, his tone twisting at Keith's defiance.

Keith bared his teeth. "Let  _go."_

"No."

They stared each other down, Lotor with scrutinizing calm and Keith with distress.

"Whatever," Keith said, his patience breaking down. "Fuck, fine, I'm not Nyma, Lotor!" Keith jerked his wrist out of Lotor's grip. "I'm not blond, I'm not pretty, I'm not a model, and, fuck's sake, Lotor, I'm not _Nyma,_ okay!?"

Lotor had taken on an impossibly perplexed look, even as Keith continued.

"I get it, okay? I get it, I'm not dumb. If you want to fuck off with Nyma, go." Keith was breathing heavily, his arms wrapped around himself with his nails digging into his upper arms.

"Keith." Lotor's voice was gentle, coaxing. It frayed and soothed. "Keith, come here." Lotor gently pulled on Keith's arms and Keith went without fuss; he just wanted this to be over. He wanted to go  _home._

_With Lotor._

Both of Lotor's large hands were warm as they settled on his shoulders, but it did little to improve Keith's mood.

"Keith...you sound ridiculous."

A second passed.

"Of course," Keith spat, pulling away again. "Just—go do whatever the hell you do with Nyma, Lotor." He turned on his heel, insult working his feet. He almost stumbled as Lotor's hand shot out to stop him again. He tugged at his arm, carelessly rough, but again it wouldn't budge. God  _damn it._

_"What?"_  Keith barked, glaring up at Lotor.

Lotor seemed to ignore his anger, stepping close. A gentle smile prettied his lips. "There's no conceivable way that someone like  _Nyma_  could ever hold a candle to a starfire like you, little elf."

Keith's arms went slack and his eyes were wide as they stared into Lotor's liquid gold. "What?"

"You can't actually believe I would lower myself to the presence of a peasant rather than a king, do you?" Lotor asked, laughing as if the notion was ridiculous to even ponder.

"But..."  _Nyma is more of a king than I could ever be._

"Keith." Lotor's voice softened, his thumbs rubbing Keith's arms.

Lotor's hands trailed down his arms, settling near his waist. Keith willingly stepped closer as Lotor fully wrapped them around him, their eye contact didn't break.

"You mean more to me than anyone."

Time seemed to stop and speed up all at once. Suddenly, they were leaning closer, Lotor bending down to meet Keith, Keith's eyes fluttering shut.

Keith wrapped his arms around Lotor's neck as they pressed flush against each other, only soft puffs of air between them.

The second their lips met was one Keith would never forget.

He would always remember the way Lotor's hands were warm on his back— _warmth, security, love_ —and his lips were bee's wax soft, tasting faintly of cranberries and mint.

Keith tilted his head, Lotor moving with him easily with a small, pleased hum. Their lips slotted together smoothly, perfect and delicious. The kiss wasn't hot or messy; it wasn't one of those frantic, movie-esque confession scenes, it was soft and proper and delicate and everything about it felt purely  _them_  and it was the most perfect kiss Keith could've ever envisioned.

That night, when Keith feel asleep with Lotor's arm around his waist, something shifted in his chest like a piece of himself moving into place, making him whole.

_You were the piece I always had and didn't know I was missing._     

**Author's Note:**

> Could you tell that this, _in the hundreds of drafts I've ever written,_ is the first time I've ever written a kiss scene? OMG OR A CONFESSION SCENE????? I'VE NEVER DONE EITHER I HADN'T NOTICED.
> 
> Man, this was the wrong thing to gift someone if I've never written it.
> 
> **I have Tumblr:** one-trigger-lullaby.tumblr.com
> 
> Merry Christmas by the way


End file.
